Facts & Figures Facts & Figures It is illegal for anyone aged under 18 to gamble Facts & Figures Records The first race was held in 1839, but it started in inauspicious circumstances, going off two hours late after confusion over weighing procedures. The aptly named, and 5-1 favourite, Lottery came home first. The 1929 National featured the most starters in the race when 66 horses lined up. The smallest field was in 1883 when just 10 faced the starter. The fastest ever time is the 8 minutes 47.8 seconds Mr Frisk recorded in taking victory in 1990. The slowest time is the 14m 53s it took Lottery to win the first National in 1839. The smallest number of finishers was in 1928 when Tipperary Tim, a 100-1 outsider, was the first of two past the post. The greatest number of horses to finish was 23 in 1984. Hallo Dandy, ridden by Neale Doughty, was the winner. 17 completed last season.

The 1997 Grand National, which was won by Lord Gyllene, was the 150th running of the race at Aintree and Sir Peter O'Sullevan's 50th and final commentary for the BBC. 2013 saw the first screening of the race by Channel 4. The shortest price winner was Poethlyn at 11-4 in 1919. The Course The first five Grand National's included one jump that was a stone wall. It was situated where the water jump now stands. Becher's Brook earned its name when a top jockey, Captain Martin Becher, took shelter in the brook after being unseated. "Water tastes disgusting without the benefits of whisky" he reflected. The Chair is the tallest fence at 5ft 2ins, and the broadest. The fence got its name as it was once alongside the seat used by the distance judge. The fences at Aintree are made up of spruce from the Lake District. The cost of the building work is tens of thousands of pounds and takes a month to complete. As well as horse racing, Aintree has also hosted a European and five British Grand Prix.

Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix in Liverpool in 1955. The change seemed to work in 2014 as no horse lost his jockey until the Canal Turn, although there were plenty of early casualties last year. Horses Red Rum is the most successful horse, having won the Grand National three times: 1973, 1974 and 1977. The oldest winning horse is Peter Simple, aged 15 (1853); the youngest winning horses were Alcibiade (1865), Regal (1876), Austerlitz (1877), Empress (1880), Lutteur III (1909), all aged 5. Abd-El-Kader was the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals, in 1850 and 1851. The Colonel, (1869 & 1870), Reynoldstown (1935 & 1936) and Red Rum (1973 & 1974) have also retained the crown. Can Many Clouds join this elite club this year?

Moiffa won in 1904 - having disappeared a year earlier. On a trip to Liverpool from New Zealand, Moiffa's ship was shipwrecked. The horse was presumed lost at sea before turning up on an outcrop south of Ireland. The legendary Golden Miller won in 1934 and became the only horse to complete the Cheltenham Gold Cup-Grand National double in the same season. Garrison Savannah narrowly failed to emulate the feat in 1991. Manifesto has run in more races than any other horse. Between 1895 and 1904, he ran in eight races, winning two and coming third on three occasions. He only failed to finish once. Two Russian horses, Reljef and Grifel, competed in the 1961 Grand National, but neither finished. Horses from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Norway have also run in previous Grand Nationals, although all with similarly disappointing results.

Hungarian chaser Buszke was pulled up in 1868, while Gyi Lovam, the first Czechoslovakian challenger in 1931, came to grief at Becherï¿½s, was remounted but fell again four fences later. The Czech-trained Essex, Fraze and Quirinus all carried automatic top-weight in the 1980s and 1990s but failed to complete. The 2000 renewal saw the first Norwegian-trained runner in the shape of Trinitro, but he got no further than the first fence where he fell. Japanese thoroughbred, Fujino-O captured four consecutive renewals of the prestigious Nakayama Daishogai in his homeland before being sent to Britain to be prepared for Aintree by trainer Fulke Walwyn. The seven year-old was given the automatic top-weight of 12st and failed to get competitive under his welter burden in 1966, eventually refusing under Jeff King.

Five winners were bred in France ï¿½ Alcibiade (1865), Reugny (1874), Lutteur III (1909), Mon Mome (2009) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Mely Moss, who was runner-up to Papillon in the 2000 Grand National and the 1996 and 2015 runners-up Encore Un Peu and Saint Are, were also French breds. In 1998, Earth Summit, owned by a six-strong partnership, became the first winner of the Grand National who was also successful in both the Scottish and Welsh Grand Nationals. Only three greys have won the Grand National - The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Suny Bay finished second to Lord Gyllene in 1997 and filled the same spot behind Earth Summit in 1998. King Johns Castle was second in 2008.

Thirteen mares have won the Grand National, but the most recent was Nickel Coin back in 1951. Since then, the mares Gentle Moya (2nd 1956), Tiberetta (3rd 1957 and 2nd 1958), Miss Hunter (3rd 1970), Eyecatcher (3rd 1976 and 1977), Auntie Dot (3rd 1991), Ebony Jane (4th 1994) and Dubacilla (4th 1995) have all finished in the first four.

The complete list of winning mares is: Charity (1841), Miss Mowbray (1852), Anatis (1860), Jealousy (1861), Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864), Casse Tete (1872), Empress (1880), Zoedone (1883), Frigate (1889), Shannon Lass (1902), Sheila's Cottage (1948) and Nickel Coin (1951). In 1923, Sergeant Murphy became the first US bred horse to win the race. He is also the joint-second oldest horse to win, at age 13, alongside Why Not (1884). The US bred Battleship, son of the famous Man o' War, became the first (and so far only) horse to have won both the Grand National (in 1938) and the American Grand National (which he won four years earlier). 1991 was the seventh and final year that the Grand National was sponsored by Seagram.

Aptly, the race was won by a horse named Seagram, bred in New Zealand. 1997 saw another New Zealand-bred winner in Lord Gyllene. Jockeys Tony McCoy is the most experienced jockey in the history of the National - his final ride in 2015 was his 20th National. McCoy won his only National on Don't Push It in 2010. He took the record from Tom Olliver who rode in 19 Nationals - winning three - despite spending time behind bars in a debtor's prison. In 2016 Richard Johnson will ride in the National for the 20th consecutive year since Celtic Abbey became his first mount in 1997 (unseating him at The Chair). Johnson has twice been runner-up, on What's Up Boys (2002) and Balthazar King two years ago, but is yet to win. George Stevens is the most successful jockey in the history of the National with five wins. His final triumph came in 1870 on The Colonel. Stevens died three months after finishing sixth in the 1871 race.

Together with the Lincoln Handicap run on the Flat at Doncaster, the Grand National forms leg two of the ï¿½Spring Doubleï¿½. The only jockey to have won both contests is Dave Dick, who captured the Lincoln on Gloaming in 1941 and the Grand National on E.S.B. in 1956. Bruce Hobbs is the youngest jockey to have ever won the race. The 17-year-old triumphed aboard Battleship in 1938. The late Dick Saunders is the oldest ever winner of the Grand National, partnering Grittar to victory in 1982. Saunders was 48 at the time. He was the first member of the Jockey Club to partner a Grand National winner. Brian Fletcher (1968 Red Alligator, 1973 and 1974 Red Rum) shares a 20th century record with the legendary Jack Anthony (1911 Glenside, 1915 Ally Sloper, 1920 Troytown), both jockeys having ridden three National winners. Plenty of riders have won the Grand National on their first attempt.

The most recent are Ryan Mania (2013 Auroras Encore), Liam Treadwell (2009 Mon Mome), Niall ï¿½Slippersï¿½ Madden (2006 Numbersixvalverde), Ruby Walsh (2000 Papillon), Jason Titley (1995 Royal Athlete), Nigel Hawke (1991 Seagram), Jimmy Frost (1989 Littler Polveir), Dick Saunders (1982 Grittar) and Maurice Barnes (1979 Rubstic). Ruby Walsh holds the best record of current jockeys, having won the Grand National twice, on Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005. Jockey William Watkinson recorded the first riding success for Australia in 1926. He was killed at Bogside, Scotland, less than three weeks after winning the Grand National. Prince Karl Kinsky, an Austro-Hungarian nobleman, was the first jockey from outside Britain and Ireland to ride when he made a winning debut on board his own mare Zoedone in 1883.

Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the son of a champion boxer, became the first Japanese jockey to ride in the Grand National in 1995, although his taste of the Aintree experience proved to be brief as he fell at the first fence on The Committee. American amateur Tim Durant was 68 when 15th on Highlandie in 1968 (although he remounted at Becherï¿½s second time). In 2012, Richard Johnson beat the record for the most rides in the National without a win. He has now ridden in the race 19 times without bettering the runner up spot in 2002 on Whatï¿½s Up Boys. There are 12 other riders who have never won (or have not as yet won) the National, despite having had more than 12 rides in the race.

They are: David Casey (1997-2015): finished third once in 15 attempts; Jeff King (1964ï¿½1980): finished third once in 15 attempts; Robert Thornton (1997ï¿½to date): never in first three in 14 attempts; Bill Parvin (1926ï¿½1939): finished second once in 14 attempts; Tom Scudamore (2001-2015): never in first three in 14 attempts; Graham Bradley (1983ï¿½1999): finished second once in 14 attempts; Chris Grant (1980ï¿½1994): finished second three times in 13 attempts; Stan Mellor (1956ï¿½1971): finished second once in 13 attempts; David Nicholson (1957ï¿½1973): never in first three in 13 attempts; George Waddington (1861ï¿½1882): finished second once in 13 attempts; Walter White (1854ï

¿½1869): finished second once in 13 attempts; Andrew Thornton (1996-2013): never in first three in 13 attempts.

Peter Scudamore technically lined up for thirteen Grand Nationals without winning but the last of those was the void race of 1993, which meant that he officially competed in twelve Nationals. Many other well-known jockeys have failed to win the Grand National. These include champion jockeys such as Terry Biddlecombe, John Francome, Josh Gifford, Stan Mellor, Jonjo O'Neill (who never finished the race) and Fred Rimell. Three jockeys who led over the last fence in the National but lost the race on the run-in ended up as television commentators: Lord Oaksey (on Carrickbeg in 1963), Norman Williamson (on Mely Moss in 2000), and Richard Pitman (on Crisp in 1973). Pitman's son Mark also led over the last fence, only to be pipped at the post when riding Garrison Savannah in 1991. Female Jockeys Since Charlotte Brew became the first in 1977, female jockeys have participated in 19 Grand National's. Brew attracted huge media attention when partnering her own horse Barony Fort.

She was a guest on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show and the Daily Mirror arranged a day-trip on Concorde to Washington. She was also unseated in the 1982 race. Geraldine Rees became the first to complete the course (albeit in last place) in 1982. She fell at the first a year later and went on to train for 12 years in Lancashire, before retiring in 2010. In 2012 Katie Walsh (sister of two-time winner Ruby Walsh) achieved the best placing by a woman to date - 3rd place on Seabass. In 2013, she rode that same horse when he was sent off as favourite, but he could only finish 13th. She also led up Papillon, when trained by her father and ridden by Ruby to win in 2000. National winning trainer, Venetia Williams, also rode in the race, falling at Becherï¿½s first time when riding 200-1 chance Marcolo in 1988.

Nina Carberry, now assistant to trainer Noel Meade, is the most experienced female rider, having finished on four of her five starts. Gee Armytage had to pull up her aptly-named mount, Gee-A, in 1988. A dual Cheltenham Festival-winning rider, she is the sister of Marcus Armytage - rider of the 1990 winner Mr Frisk - and became personal assistant to multiple champion jump jockey A P McCoy. Rosemary Henderson finished fifth when aged 51 on her own 100/1 shot Fiddlers Pike in 1994. She subsequently wrote a book, ï¿½Road To The Nationalï¿½, about her exploits. There was huge media interest in Carrie Ford when she finished fifth in 2005 on Forest Gunner, trained by her husband Richard. Ford, then 33, had given birth to her daughter Hannah 10 weeks earlier.

Here is the complete record of lady jockeys to date: Year Grand National: The luckiest and unluckiest jockeys in the Aintree showpiece - Telegraph Grand National: The luckiest and unluckiest jockeys in the Aintree showpiece Paul Moloney and Aidan Coleman have endured vastly contrasting fortunes in big race One that got away: Aidan Coleman passed up the chance to ride Mon Mome in 2009 Photo: GETTY IMAGES 6:44PM BST 08 Apr 2015 The luckiest jockey in the field... Some jockeys have great Grand National records, others have the most unenviable form in the world’s greatest race. Some of the greatest jockeys have never won it, indeed Jonjo O’Neill never got beyond Becher’s Brook on the second circuit in eight rides, while champions John Francome and Peter Scudamore had nothing more than a minor placing. In stark contrast from nine rides Brian Fletcher won it three times, was second twice and, even the year he was ‘jocked off’ Red Rum, he managed to finish third on Eyecatcher.

Is it luck, something in the way a jockey rides, coincidence or merely a case of getting on the right horse? And can your luck change? After some truly outrageous bad luck, which twice included being carried out by loose horses when in contention, it was A P McCoy’s 15th attempt before things went his way and he won on Don’t Push It. Paul Moloney, who rides last year’s fourth Alvarado in Saturday’s Crabbie’s Grand National, has a remarkable Aintree record having finished in the first four on his past six rides, although a first win remains elusively slippery. To put that into context he has cleared Becher’s Brook a dozen times without mishap as well as beating most, but not quite all, of the 234 horses he has lined up against in that period. The three horses he has proudly ridden back into the unsaddling enclosure are State of Play, Cappa Bleu and Alvarado. All have carried the same colours of the Rucker family, racing enthusiasts from Worcestershire. “I wish I knew what the secret was,” said Moloney, unable to put his finger on it.

“Having luck on your side is part of it and getting on the right horse. Hopefully, luck will be on my side again this year.” Even Moloney took a while to warm to the place. “I didn’t get round on my first four rides, but I got quite far on a couple of them; Graphic Approach went at Becher’s second time and another, Royal Altalza, pulled up two out. Even Vodka Bleu went a circuit so it wasn’t complete hopeless. Iris Blue was the only one that didn’t get far when he fell at the fifth on my first ride.” A huge part of the race, Maloney concedes, is having the right horse on the right day. “State of Play was a fantastic horse. He had won a Hennessy. He was the classiest of all the horses I’ve ridden at Aintree and was the only one I thought I would win on. In his first year, Mon Mome’s year, he was cantering over the Melling Road, but there were 12 of us in with a shout at the last and he started to tread water up the run-in. “Cappa Bleu was ideal.

He was the perfect National horse, an absolute armchair ride. He won the Cheltenham Foxhunters and the owner always said he would be a great ride in the National and he wasn’t wrong. He was a pure joy to ride round there.” Alvarado, however, required a bit more from his jockey. “He is a bit quirky,” explained Moloney. “He ran out at Newbury once and refused at the last with me at Sandown another time. He is talented though. But if you asked me I couldn’t say he is better than the other two. But last year he did very well to finish where he did after being so keen early on. At halfway he felt like he had just jumped in the race, an unreal feeling to get after two miles in the National, which is partly what gives me such hope this time. If he settles it could be a different story. “I went out last year with the plan of being in the front half or closer but, by the time we had paraded, he was very revved up. Then we had the false start and I struggled to pull him up before the first.

In fact at one stage I thought I was going to jump it until he saw the other horses pulling up around him. So I decided my only chance was to drop him in at the back of the field and hope that he settled. He was still keen enough for a mile and a half though. Paul Moloney has had amazing success over the big Aintree fences “He hadn’t run since New Year’s Day last year and the first thing I said when I came back in afterwards was that he needed to run a bit closer to the race or have a racecourse gallop just to take that little edge off him. “It has been a bit different, however. He only had the one start this season, at Doncaster in February. He didn’t set the world on fire but he has been trained for this race and he went away to Newbury for a gallop 10 days ago, which was ideal. Hopefully, it will just take the fizz out of him and he won’t be as revved as he was last year.” One of two things happen if you knock long enough on a door; either it opens or you get a sore knuckle. So has not winning actually become a source of frustration for the jockey? “No,” he insisted.

“If you give a horse your best possible ride and have no hard luck stories, then there can only be one winner and if it’s not you there’s no point in being frustrated by it.” ... and the unluckiest one Aidan Coleman, who rides one of the favourites for this year’s Crabbie’s Grand National, the recent Cheltenham festival winner The Druid’s Nephew, is one jockey you would mentally have down as a good Grand National jockey. But, so far, apart from finishing 10th on his first ride in 2008, he has failed to complete the course in the six subsequent Nationals. His Aintree luck. or lack of it, has be typified the fact that he has been knocked off his mount by loose horses in the past two, but the nadir in his record came in 2009 when he and Stan fell at the seventh, the smallest fence on the course. The horse he had passed over in order to ride Stan, was the 100-1 shot Mon Mome, who duly went and won under the stable’s number two jockey, Liam Treadwell.

If Coleman was ever going to win a National that, surely, was the one which got away. “I’m over it now,” he said. “If you’re a jump jockey you become conditioned to take the rough with the smooth and once it was done it was done. It was upsetting at the time, but now I always take the view that if that’s the worst thing that ever happens to me in my riding career then I’ll have been pretty lucky. “At the time I got quite upset. I was pretty young, mentally immature and lacking a bit of experience in life generally. To that point my whole career had gone so well, I had ridden lots of winners and had hardly any injuries and it was the first setback I’d had. I didn’t see the bigger picture and it got me down for a week or two, but then I manned up and got over it. “The only thing which annoys me about it now is that I had ridden Mon Mome to finish 10th the year before and won a big handicap on him at Christmas that season. If I had the benefit of more race-riding experience in those days it would have been a no-brainer to pick him over Stan.

But I knew very little about how to pick one then. So now it’s not so much about not riding Mon Mome to win, for me it is about why I didn’t pick him.” Not that it is much consolation but Coleman did ride Mon Mome in three Nationals in all. “The year after he won he fell at the fourth-last but would definitely have been in the first four and a couple of years later I pulled him up at Becher’s second time, but he was flat out the whole way that day and age had got to his old legs. “The next year I rode Grand Slam Hero, as much as anything because I just wanted a ride. No one thought he would be that nice a ride round there because could occasionally miss one out on a park course. He went really nicely to the second-last on the first circuit, at which he didn’t lift a leg and we came down. The Rainbow Hunter, who I have ridden for the past two years, was desperately unlucky. He got chopped off in mid-air by horses at the Canal Turn [8th fence] and we found ourselves on the deck.

Last year, at Valentine’s, which is a fence later, Mountainous was getting up having fallen and I had nowhere to go.” When it comes to the National, however, Coleman has no doubt Lady Luck will one day ride pillion with him, maybe as soon as Saturday. “I’ve got around the course plenty of times and won a Sefton Chase [over the National fences], which is more than most of the lads,” he said. “I think the luck part is all about getting on the right horse and if The Druid’s Nephew jumps round he has a very realistic chance. I haven’t ridden anything of his calibre in the race.” Jockey Profiles of Martell Grand National - Racing News - Horse Racing - The Hong Kong Jockey Club Jockey Profiles of Martell Grand National 7 April 2001 Carl Llewellyn Beau Aged 36. Is the most successful Grand National jockey riding today, having won on Party Politics in 1992 and Earth Summit in 1998. He is a fine, intelligent horseman and strong in a finish. He has just reached 50 winners for this season and partners topweight Beau this year. 2.

Ruby Walsh Papillon Aged 21. Top Irish jockey who rode his father's horse Papillon to victory in his first in the Grand National last year. He is bidding for a back-to-back victory on the same horse this time. 3. Joe Tizzard Earthmover Aged 21. Ex-amateur who has taken time to make a name for himself but has still ridden many big-race winners for top trainer, Paul Nicholls. His Grand National record is dreadful, having failed to finish in four attempts to date. He again partners Earthmover who fell last year. 4. Garett Cotter Merry People Aged 24. Ranks among the top ten Irish jockeys who was hit hard by injury last season and has now had to suffer from the abandonment on Irish racing due to the foot and mouth in England. Was unseated from Merry People last year and tries again. 5. Roddy Greene Tresor de Mai Aged 31. Rides as a support jockey to the all-powerful Martin Pipe stable. Fifteen of his 20 winners this season have been for him. He has his third ride in the National on Tresor de Mai. 6.

Brian Crowley General Wolfe Aged 19. Is one of the brightest young apprentice jump jockeys around. He lies third in the apprentice title with 28 winners but has little experience of Aintree. He rides General Wolfe. 7. Seamus Durack The Last Fling Aged 21. Very capable young rider, who has been hit by injury this season. His 19 winners this season does not reflect his ability. He teams up with The Last Fling on whom he finish 7th in the race last year. 8. Barry Geraghty Hanakham Aged 22. Very good up-and-coming young Irish jockey, who is much sought after when riding in England. He is strong in as finish and tactically good. He has second ride in the National on the English-trained Hanakham. 9. John McNamara Addington Boy Aged 21. Rides as second jockey to top Northern trainer, Ferdie Murphy. Has 25 winners this season but is having his first ride in the National on Addington Boy. 10. Richard Guest Red Marauder Aged 35.

Is a stylish, colourful but sometimes hot-headed jockey who has ridden over 20 winners mainly in the North. He finished second in the 1992 National at his first attempt but has been out of luck since. He teams up again with Red Marauder, who fell a year ago. 11. Thierry Doumen Djeddah Aged 21. Fine young French rider, who is the son of the great trainer, Francois Doumen, of Jim And Tonic fame. He has ridden many big race winners for his father including this year's King George VI Gold Cup on First Gold. He is having his third National ride on Djeddah, who was ninth last year. 12. David Casey Strong Tel Aged 25. Fine ex-Irish jockey whose move to England didn't work out a couple of years ago. he has had less than ten winners in Britain this year and has his third ride in the National on Strong Tel. 13. Dean Gallagher Unsinkable Boxer Aged 32. Fine lightweight jockey, who doesn't get the big race winning rides to help him hit the headlines.

He has had a disappointing season with only 16 winners and is having his sixth National ride on Unsinkable Boxer. 14. Tony McCoy Blowing Wind Aged 26. Is the undisputed and unchallangable champion jockey in Britain. He scored a record 253 winners when winning the title in 1998 and is well clear with 190 winners at the top again in his bid to win his sixth championship. He is so determined and tremendously strong in a finish but has failed to finish a Grand National in four attempts. He partners Blowing Wind this time. 15. Noel Fehily Moral Support Aged 25. Is the leading apprentice jump jockey this season with 40 winners and 20% strike rate to go with it. He has risen quickly from the amateur ranks but this is his first ride in the National on Moral Support. 16. Tom Scudamore Northern Starlight Aged 18. Is the son of eight-times champion jump jockey, Peter, and looks to be following in his father's footsteps. He lies second in the amateur title with 19 winners.

He is well thought of by Martin Pipe, who has supplied over half his winners. This is his first National ride on Northern Starlight. 17. Jimmy McCarthy Noble Lord Aged 30. A fine horseman who rides for a stable that has been out of form this season but has still managed 25 winners. He failed to finish in his first National last year and has his second chance on Noble Lord, the smallest horse in the race. 18. Warren Marston Amberleigh House Aged 30. Workmanlike jockey who is having a good season with nearly 40 winners. He has failed to reach the frame in three attempts at the National and has another go on rank outsider Amberleigh House. 19. Chris Maude Exit Swinger Aged 32. Is one of the country's hardest working, journeyman jockeys but has only 10 winners to his name from 250 rides. He has poor record in the National from six attempts. 20. Norman Williamson Mely Moss Aged 32. One of the very best jockeys in Britain and is in much demand for all the big races.

He has won a whole host of big races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle but the closest he got winning the National was when second on Mely Moss last year. They team up again. 21. Kieran Kelly Dark Stranger Aged 22. Is one of the top six jockeys in Ireland with 26 winners this year. He is a well-regarded new talent and has been given his first chance in the National on Dark Stranger. 22. Tony Dobbin Listen Timmy Aged 28. Is again the top Northern jockey and lies third in the table with 80 winners. He shot to fame in 1997 when winning the Grand National on Lord Gyllene and hasn't looked back, though his two subsequent rides in National have not been good. He partners Listen Timmy for Lord Gyllene's owner, Sir Stanley Clarke, this time. 23. Robert Widger Inis Cara Aged 21. Fine young apprentice who rides for one of the top West Country yards. He has failed to finish on both his National rides to date. He partners Inis Cara this time. 24. Richard Johnson Edmond Aged 23.

Is second only to the mighty Tony McCoy in the jockey's table with nearly 160 winners. His strike rate is not as good as McCoy's but he is equally strong in a finish. He has an awful record in the National, having failed to finish in four efforts so far. Tries again on Edmond. 25. Rupert Wakley You're Agoodun Aged 26. Very capable, ex-amateur, who is having his best ever season with over 35 winners. He is very popular among the freelance jockeys and gets his first chance of riding for Martin Pipe in the National on You're Agoodun. It is his third ride in the race. 26. Jason Maguire No Retreat Aged 20. Promising young apprentice who has failed to hit many headlines this season. He has less than ten winners to his name but a win in his first National on No Retreat will give a dream 21st birthday present for next week. 27. Timmy Murphy Smarty Aged 26. Ranked in the top ten jockeys in the country and has chalked up nearly 50 winners again this season.

He has had a hat-trick of falls in the National and is having his fifth ride on Smarty. 28. Fran Flood Hollybank Buck Aged 30. Fine Irish jockey, who has not been seen much in England. He has only ridden once before at Aintree, in a supporting race over the National fences. He rides Hollybank Buck. 29. James 'Shay' Barry Moondigua Aged 28. Irish-based jockey, who has only had a handful of winners this year. He hasn't ridden for a month due to the cancellation of Irish racing due to the foot and mouth outbreak. He has his first chance in the National on Moondigua. 30. Jim Culloty Village King Aged 28. Ex-amateur, who has improved his score each season. He is now proving himself to be one of the main up-and-coming riders in the country but his two rides in the National so far have ended in falls. Tries again on Village King. 31. Jamie Goldstein Spanish Main Aged 22. Young apprentice who is slowly making his way. He has 18 winners this season and is having his first ride in the National on Spanish Main.

32. Mick Fitzgerald Espirt de Cotte Aged 30. Is one of the very top riders in the country and very strong in a finish. He has a great judge of pace and tactically brilliant. He lies fourth in the jockeys title with over 70 winners and won the National in 1996 on Rough Quest. His last two rides have ended in falls at Bechers. He is hoping for better on Esprit de Cotte this year. 33. Andy Thornton Lance Armstrong Aged 28. Fine horseman, though not one of most stylish jockeys. He is strong in a finish and is regularly in the top ten in the jockeys' title. One fourth place is his best effort in the national from five tries. Rides Lance Armstrong this year. 34. Rodney Farrant Kaki Crazy Aged 28. He finds it a struggle getting rides these days and a win in the Grand National would do wonders for his career but his record in has only finished once in four rides in the National to date. Rides Kaki Crazy this time. 35. Brian Harding Feels Like Gold Aged 28.

Is one of the leading Northern jockeys but is having a tough season due to many Northern meetings being cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth disease. He has finished the course twice on Feels Like Gold and has a third ride on him this year. 36. Adrian Maguire Paddy's Return Aged 29. Is consistent, tough, amiable and very strong. He was dogged by injury in his mid-twenties but has put that behind him now and is riding better than ever. He lies fourth in the table with over 70 winners and has finished third, fourth and fifth in four attempts at the National. Tries again on Paddy's Return. 37. Philip Hide Brave Highlander Aged 27. Rides as first jockey to Grand National winning trainer, Josh Gifford but doesn't get the opportunities he deserves. Finished fourth on Brave Highlander a year ago, his best effort from six rides so far and rides him again. 38. Jim Crowley Art Prince Aged 22. He has become one of the best young jockeys in the North of England and has ridden nearly 30 winners. He has his first ride in the National on Art Prince. 39.

Leslie Jefford Mister One Aged 30. Is a brilliant amateur jockey who is the present champion point-to-point rider. He has over 20 winners under rules but has only ridden once over the National fences. He has his first ride in the big race on Mister One. 40. Richard Thornton Supreme Charm Aged 22. Very talented young jockey but has failed to reach top rank since turning professional two years ago but is still in the top twenty with nearly 40 winners. He rides in his fifth National on Supreme Charm. BBC Sport - Horse Racing - Tony McCoy wins Grand National on Don't Push It Tony McCoy wins Grand National on Don't Push It Don't Push It wins the Grand National Tony McCoy ended his Grand National jinx in superb style as he claimed victory at the 15th attempt on board 10-1 joint favourite Don't Push It. Don't Push It jumped the last with Black Apalachi but pulled away down the straight to give trainer Jonjo O'Neill and owner JP McManus their first wins. Black Apalachi (14-1) was five lengths behind, ahead of State of Play (16-1).

Joint favourite Big Fella Thanks, with Barry Geraghty replacing injured jockey Ruby Walsh, finished fourth. McCoy, the 14-time champion jockey, has ridden more than 3,000 winners, but Grand National victory had remained frustratingly elusive, with three third-place finishes his best efforts before Saturday. McCoy thanks trainer The 35-year-old Northern Irishman, who first rode the National in 1995, was close to tears as he spoke to BBC Sport after crossing the finish line of the four-and-a-half-mile marathon. "I'm being a big wuss. It means everything to me to win the Grand National. "I've won lots of big races and I'm supposed to be a good jockey, but to not win the Grand National would be a bit of a negative on the CV." Trainer O'Neill, who never won the race as a jockey, also celebrated an emotional win. Walsh, twice a winner of the National, suffered a broken arm in a heavy fall on Celestial Halo in the Dick Francis Aintree Hurdle earlier on the card. He was replaced by Geraghty, with Richard Johnson taking over on Geraghty's original mount Tricky Trickster.

But Big Fella Thanks nonetheless went out as joint favourite along with Don't Push It, after a late flurry of bets on McCoy's mount. Grand National - closing stages (UK users only) And there was more drama at the start as King Johns Castle, ridden by Paul Carberry, refused to race, despite stewards holding the start to allow the horse to settle. As Conna Castle made the early running, McCoy bided his time on the first circuit. But he later revealed that during that first circuit he had an inkling that this could be his day. "I had a strange feeling early on that the horse was enjoying what he was doing," McCoy told BBC Radio 5 live on Sunday. "But you have to keep your concentration and the more the race went on, the more I got the buzz." And with four fences of the 30 to go, he surged to the front and eventually won by a decisive margin. Black Apalachi, trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes, was left trailing in his wake. His jockey Denis O'Regan said: "He was a bit keen early on but once he settled into a lovely rhythm he was fantastic.

It's a pleasure to ride a horse like him round here." Paul Moloney's mount State of Play, went one better than his fourth position last time round for Welsh trainer Evan Williams. Moloney said: "It was a serious run from a serious horse who has been very good to me and he might win it next year." Hello Bud, ridden prominently throughout by 17-year-old Sam Twiston-Davies, was in contention at the second last but faded to finish fifth. Nina Carberry, attempting to become the first woman to win the race on Character Building, finished in seventh, behind the well-backed Snowy Morning. Last year's winner Mon Mome was going well when he fell at the 26th fence. Preists Leap was the last of 14 finishers, by which time celebrations in the Don't Push It camp were well under way. Grand National - how they fared McManus, a former joint-owner of Manchester United, paid tribute to racing manager Frank Berry, who found the horse in Listowel. "I don't think without Frank we would have had the horse," he said.

"Full marks to Jonjo and the team as he's been a difficult horse down the years to keep right and keep his mind right." McCoy waited until Thursday to choose Don't Push It ahead of Can't Buy Time, who unseated jockey Richie McLernon at the eighth fence. "My trainer put me on the right one if truth be known," he said. "I asked him to toss a coin and I think he tossed it a few times until he got Don't Push It. I couldn't have picked it, but Jonjo was very adamant and I didn't argue with him. "If you get enough goes at something and you keep going, once you're in there you've always got a chance. 606: DEBATE Shutthefrontdoor - Grand National 2016 Shutthefrontdoor Bet Now In 2015 Shutthefrontdoor became the clear favourite for the Grand National. Trained by Jonjo O’Neill he was the mount of Champion jockey AP McCoy for his last ever National and went off as short as 6/1 across all of the major UK bookmakers.

Owned by JP McManus, who also owned winning Grand National horse Don’t Push It, Shutthefrontdoor didn’t necessarily possess the box-ticking requirements that precede many of those horses who go on to win the Aintree showpiece. With only six chase starts at the time, he just fell short of the trend that suggest winners will have ridden in at least ten of them. 2014 Irish Grand National Winner Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t able to give AP and fans the fairytale ending and instead finished in a very worthy fifth place. Now nine years old, he has had one run since then, again at Aintree in November, but the weather this season has meant fewer opportunities to stretch his legs before the 2016 Grand National which is definitely giving O’Neill some headaches. Speaking to The Guardian recently O’Neill said: “He’s in grand form. “He ran well in a hurdle race at Liverpool in November but then the ground got really heavy and he wants good ground. “When he gets pulled around on heavy, he’s not the easiest horse to keep right. I wanted to run him at Sandown this weekend but when I saw it was heavy, I thought I won’t even enter him.

“If you were a jockey, he’d be the sort of horse you’d look forward to riding in the National. He jumps really well.” This year it could very well be jockey Barry Geraghty who takes the reins. As JP McManus’s first jockey of choice the option will certainly be on the cards and having already won the Irish Grand National in 2014 on him, it may be the natural choice. As the records stand, Shutthefrontdoor has run 16 times under race rules, winning nine times and placing in another three. If you extend that out to five places, as this is the payout bar for most UK bookmakers, then he has actually come home in the money in fifteen of his sixteen runs of them making him a very good each-way prospect.

Question: Which jockey, with 20, has ridden in the Grand National most times?
Answer: A P MCCOY